Tenji combined engineering expertise and artistic imagination to construct and suspend a 7500-gallon, Titanic-themed aquarium over a bar in a seismic zone. Merpeople and fish swim in the tank, so Tenji had to create a life support system that could sustain both. The Dive Bar’s upscale interior helped rejuvenate the Sacramento downtown area and won the establishment “#1 Trendy Bar of 2013” on the KCRA 3 A-List.

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences --- a $33 million, 60,000 ft2 scientific facility --- is the first to achieve Platinum LEED status (the highest) in Maine, and one of seven in New England. Tenji worked closely with WBRC Engineers Architects to build a world-class marine research lab where Bigelow’s scientists carry out important research on algae and phytoplankton. Tenji developed both raw and filtered seawater systems for the specially designed culture rooms and mesocosms.

Tenji created a trompe l’oeil effect in this aquarium by using a curved face, a custom fiber optic lit background, and artistically designed coral made of fiberglass. Tropical fish swim in this 20-foot long private aquarium, designed and built by Tenji for an art collector’s daughter.

Tenji worked with the Islan Aquarium and Reynolds Polmer Technology to create a one-of-a-kind tank for moon jellies. The jellyfish tank required a horseshoe shape that is conducive to generating a steady flow of water. This keeps the invertebrates from becoming trapped in the corners as they would in a traditional tank.Tenji worked with the owners and RPT to design the tank so that it worked well for keeping the animals alive and was maintainable by aquatist staff.

Tenji’s novel seawater filtration/purification system allows The Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research, located at NOVA Southeastern University, to fulfill its mission: to conserve and protect coral reefs, an environmentally and economically important ecosystem. Tenji’s design-build system pumps seawater from wells into 5000-gallon filtration tanks, and then into research labs. By constantly monitoring the seawater’s quality parameters with Tenji’s computer monitoring system, the Center is able to successfully cultivate corals in nurseries, re-introduce them to the ocean, and study their biology.

An avid scuba diver and professional racing car collector, who wanted to be able to appreciate both of his passions, asked Tenji to design and install a two-sided custom marine aquarium and system in his home. From the owner’s office one can see through the 250-gallon tank with custom artificial reef, into the garage showcasing his racing cars. The filtration system, designed for maximum space efficiency, has been running for four years now with no issues.